Department for Transport

Road Traffic Offences

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of vehicles that are using British roads without either having paid road tax or having insurance cover, or both, in each of the past ten years.

baroness sugg: The following table contains the Department’s estimates of the number of unlicensed vehicles in the active vehicle stock in Great Britain. Some years are unavailable as the survey became biennial in 2011. YearThousands of vehicles20075222008289200922520103072011249201321320155312017715  Neither the Department nor its agency DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) hold figures on the number of vehicles using British roads that do not have insurance cover.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

UK Audit Standards Independent Review

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Henley on 18 January (HL12950), whether the scope of the review of the standards of auditing in the UK will cover all references to auditor duties in the Companies Act 2006;and whether the review will be resourced with appropriately qualified independent lawyers to consider those duties as set out in that Act.

lord henley: The terms of reference for Sir Donald Brydon’s independent review into the effectiveness of audit will be published in due course. The review will look widely at the expectations that users of accounts have of audit and the extent to which those expectations can be satisfied. In his evidence to the House of Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee’s ‘future of audit’ inquiry on 4th February, Sir Donald confirmed that his review would look at auditors’ role in relation to company law and the capital maintenance requirements. The review will draw on the necessary skills and expertise.

Copyright: EU Law

the earl of clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to support Articles 14–16 of the EU Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market which contain provisions to improve rights for authors, poets, scriptwriters and other writers.

lord henley: Yes, the Government supports Articles 14-16 of the EU Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market.

Intellectual Property

the earl of clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications for the UK's intellectual property framework of joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

lord henley: The implications of joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) on the UK’s IP framework will depend on the outcome of accession negotiations. As these accession discussions are yet to begin, there is no final deal to assess against. However, Government officials are considering the costs and benefits to the UK of the existing CPTPP trade agreement provisions and are taking into account stakeholder responses to the Department for International Trade’s consultation on CPTPP which closed on 26 October 2018.

Intellectual Property

the earl of clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications for the UK's intellectual property framework of a free trade deal with the United States.

lord henley: The implications of a potential US trade agreement on the UK’s IP framework will depend on any final negotiated text. As negotiations are yet to begin, there is no deal to assess against. However, Government officials are considering the costs and benefits to the UK of similar existing trade agreement provisions and are taking into account stakeholder responses to the Department for International Trade’s consultation on a potential US trade agreement which closed on 26 October 2018.

Copyright: Internet

the earl of clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to address copyright infringement on online platforms.

lord henley: The UK Government takes the issue of IP infringement seriously and is working with industry and enforcement agencies on a number of initiatives to tackle this problem. In September 2013 we launched a dedicated online IP crime unit, run by the City of London Police – Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU). It is dedicated to tackling serious and organised online piracy and counterfeiting (affecting digital and physical goods) and protecting legitimate UK businesses. IPO provided funding of around £9 million over the period 2013-2019. Furthermore in March 2018 the Government published the Creative Industry Sector Deal. As part of this deal the Government committed to work with rights holders and platforms to develop new voluntary agreements, to tackle IP infringement on online platforms.

Strength in Places Fund

lord trees: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to expedite (1) the decision-making process, and (2) the processing of applications for the UK Research and Innovation Strength in Places initiative.

lord henley: During 2018, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) invited ‘expression of interest’ bids into Wave 1 of the Strength in Places Fund. All eligible bids were considered by an independent assessment panel, which made recommendations to UKRI. UKRI is currently in the process of finalising the assessment process, and will notify those bids proceeding to the full stage in due course.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Falkland Islands: Exports

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on Falkland Islands (1) agriculture, and (2) meat product exports to EU27 markets if World Trade Organisation tariffs were imposed; whether they estimate that there would be an annual loss to that industry; and if so, what they estimate such a loss would be.

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the profitability of Falkland Islands meat exports to the EU27 if World Trade Organisation tariffs were imposed; and whether they estimate that industry would remain viable.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The EU's non-preferential import duty on sheep meat is 12.8 per cent, plus a fixed amount, on average, of €155.68 per 100kg, depending on the cut. Implementation of such terms may render this trade no longer profitable. However, the majority of Falkland meat exports go to the UK and the Government will maintain duty-free access to the UK market post-EU Exit for all goods originating in British Overseas Territories, which will ensure the Falkland Islands' meat industry remains viable. The EU does not levy tariffs on raw wool imports.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

lord shinkwin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications for regional stability in the Middle East of an Iranian missile fired in January from Damascus towards northern Israel.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We fully support Israel's right to defend itself. We urge Iran to refrain from actions which will only lead to increased instability in the region. It is crucial to avoid any further escalations, which would be in no one's interest.

Lebanon: Israel

lord shinkwin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what reports, if any, they have received of the construction of cross-border tunnels by Hezbollah militants from Lebanon into Israel.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Government is aware of reports of the construction of cross-border tunnels from Lebanon into Israel. The UN Monitoring Mission, UNIFIL, confirmed a violation of UNSCR 1701 to the UN Security Council on 19 December 2018. We urge the newly formed Lebanese Government to take necessary steps to ensure any violations of 1701 are addressed.

Gaza: Israel

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 28 January (HL12818), what assessment they have made of the operation of the buffer zone in Gaza and whether the area covered by such a zone needs to be made clearer; and whether they will make representations to the government of Israel to this effect.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have made no assessment of the buffer zone and have not discussed this issue with the Government of Israel.

Iran: Guided Weapons

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Iran’s expansion of its ballistic missile programme threatens the viability of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action; and what diplomacy they are pursuing in response with the governments of both Iran and the United States.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have consistently expressed our deep concerns about Iran's missile programme. The Foreign Secretary raised the issue with Foreign Minister Zarif in Tehran on 19 November. We have publicly condemned recent Iranian missile activity. On 5 December, the Foreign Secretary issued a statement following Iranian testing of a medium range ballistic missile. We have also highlighted our concerns in joint letters with France and Germany to the UN Secretary General and, with them, we continue to raise the issue with the Iranian government. With the US we maintain regular discussions on shared concerns around Iran's missile programme.The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) was intended to address Iran's nuclear capability rather than ballistic missiles. Nevertheless, we maintain that we are better placed to address wider concerns, including about missiles, with the JCPoA in place.

Burma: Peace Negotiations

baroness nye: To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial support they have provided for the peace process in Burma in the current financial year, broken down by each organisation that has received funding, directly or indirectly.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: To date in this current financial year the UK has provided £3,003,398 to support the peace process and wider peacebuilding in Burma. This comprises £1.9 million from the Department for International Development to the Paung Sie Facility which is implemented by the Nordic International Support Foundation to support inter-communal harmony; £383,398 from the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) to Inter Mediate; and £720,000 from CSSF to the Joint Peace Fund whose 11 donors provide funding for the Joint Monitoring Committee for monitoring the 2015 ceasefire agreement and over 30 other peace process-focused projects.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 28 January (HL12817), what steps they intend to take to uphold the freedom of the media in the Occupied Territories.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Government recognizes that protection of the freedom of the media is an important attribute of human rights. Officials at the British Consulate Jerusalem routinely raise issues of media freedom with the Palestinian Authority, and the Minister for the Middle East and North Africa met Leaders of the Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate in London on 4 July 2018 where they discussed the situation facing Palestinian journalists and the constraints on their work.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of Israeli forces shooting at unarmed Palestinian boys on 25 January, resulting in the death of Ayman Hamad; whether they intend to take action in response; if so, what; if not, why not; and whether they have made representations to the government of Israel about that shooting.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are very concerned at the high numbers of Palestinians killed by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the West Bank and Gaza. We have raised the issue with the Israeli authorities, encouraging them to carry out transparent investigations into whether the use of live fire has been appropriate.The UK has repeatedly made clear to Israel our longstanding concerns about the manner in which the IDF polices protests and the border areas, including use of live ammunition. We will continue to do so.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of Israeli forces using live rounds against schoolchildren who protested those forces invading school grounds; whether they intend to take action in response; if so, what; if not, why not; and whether they have made representations on the issue to the government of Israel.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are very concerned at the high numbers of Palestinians killed by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the West Bank and Gaza. We have raised the issue with the Israeli authorities, encouraging them to carry out transparent investigations into whether the use of live fire has been appropriate.The UK has repeatedly made clear to Israel our longstanding concerns about the manner in which the IDF polices protests and the border areas, including use of live ammunition. We will continue to do so.

Israel: Sewage

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of sewage pollution in the Mediterranean off the coast of Israel; and what advice they provide to UK tourists who plan to visit Israel about such pollution.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli authorities and we do not provide advice to UK tourists about pollution. There remains an urgent need for all the parties to reach an agreement that addresses the underlying causes of conflict in Gaza and to take the necessary steps to ensure Gaza's reconstruction and economic recovery.

Northern Ireland Office

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

lord hain: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have received a report from the Commissioner for Victims and Survivors for Northern Ireland about the provision of pensions for those who were severely physically injured in the Northern Ireland Troubles; and if so, what steps they intend to take in regard tothat issue.

lord duncan of springbank: The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has commissioned advice on a victims’ pension from the Commissioner for Victims and Survivors for Northern Ireland. We have received some initial advice and look forward to receiving further advice in the near future, following which we will set out next steps.

Department of Health and Social Care

Out-patients: Attendance

lord dobbs: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are conducting research into the (1) causes, and (2) costs of missed appointments in the NHS; and if so, when they expect to publish the results of that research.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Department is not currently conducting research into causes, and costs of missed appointments in the National Health Service.We know, however, that patients may miss appointments for a number of reasons, including mental health and social circumstances. Patients are encouraged to cancel appointments, so they can be used by someone else. New technologies support providers in reminding patients of their forthcoming appointments to reduce missed appointments, for example, the use of text message reminder systems.NHS Digital publishes did not attend (DNAs) for outpatient appointments annually. Data is available from 2006-07 to 2017-18. Data shows a year on year decrease in the percentage of DNAs. The equivalent data for the number of missed appointments in general practice is not available.Information surrounding the cost of missed appointments is not collected centrally.

Occupational Therapy

lord hunt of chesterton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, and if so how, they will maintain the use of (1) handicrafts, and (2) gardening as occupational therapy interventions for patients recovering from treatment in NHS England hospitals.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Therapeutic interventions and group programmes for rehabilitation are expected features of rehabilitation for both mental health and physical conditions – handicrafts, as a therapeutic intervention to improve fine coordination, and gardening, and other patient appropriate activity, are recommended by both the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the Royal College of Occupational Therapists.Although the two interventions are not specifically held above others in recovery, handicrafts and gardening are commonly used in therapeutic programmes funded by the National Health Service.

Embryology

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will place a copy of the contingency plans drawn up by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority for the importation of gametes from EU member states following Brexit in the Library of the House.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The information on preparedness provided by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to the Department has been part of the formulation of Government policy and there are no plans to publish this information at this time.

Health Professions: Recruitment

lord bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to complete the recruitment of the additional 20,000 health professionals to support general practitioners, as part of the NHS LongTerm Plan.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The new general practitioner (GP) contract framework, published on 31 January 2019, set out plans for an Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme in Primary Care Networks. This will provide guaranteed funding for up to an estimated 20,000 additional staff by 2023/24. The funding available will be phased and will meet a recurrent 70% of costs for additional clinical pharmacists, physician associates, first contact physiotherapists and first contact community paramedics; and 100% of the costs of additional social prescribing link workers. The scheme will be extended gradually, reflecting available supply and funding. Funding from July 2019 will be available for clinical pharmacists and social prescribers only, in 2020 physician associates and first contact physiotherapists will be added and in 2021 first contact community paramedics will be further added to the scheme. This builds on the extra 3,700 non-GP clinical staff already working in general practice, compared to 2015 and will mean bigger teams of staff, providing a wider range of care options for patients and freeing up more time for GPs to focus on those with more complex needs.

Tobacco: Packaging

lord palmer: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Blackwood of North Oxford on 5 February (HL13025), who are the expertson tobacco control whom they consulted about proposed changes to tobacco packaging.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Department has consulted with a range of experts in tobacco control, including Professor David Hammond of the School of Public Health and Health Systems at the University of Waterloo, Canada; Rob Cunningham, Senior Policy Analyst at the Canadian Cancer Society; and Deborah Arnott, Chief Executive of Action on Smoking and Health. None of the experts consulted have links to the tobacco industry.

Ministry of Justice

Civil Proceedings: Judgements

baroness quin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussionsthey have had with (1) the Bar Council,(2) the Law Society, and (3) other interested organisations about the impact of Brexit on the cross-border enforcement of civil judgments.

lord keen of elie: The Government has engaged regularly with the Law Society, the Bar Council and other interested representatives of the legal profession since the referendum about the impact of Brexit on all aspects of civil judicial cooperation, including the cross-border enforceability of judgments. This has included regular Ministerial meetings and senior official conversations and attending a variety of roundtables and events. In addition, the Department asked the sector to lead a dedicated group, the Brexit Law Committee, to provide a forum through which the Government and the legal and business sectors could discuss legal and commercial issues arising out of EU exit. This Committee includes representatives of both the Law Society and the Bar Council, and representatives from other legal organisations, and business groups.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Parking Offences: Appeals

viscount astor: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the proposals contained within the Parking (Code of Practice) Bill, what plans they have to introduce a single appeals service for the private parking sector.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government is supportive of the Parking (Code of Practice) Bill, which we believe will get the fairest deal for motorists, operators and landowners. Our current intention is to appoint a single appeals service for the private parking sector, using the powers granted by the Parking (Code of Practice) Bill should it pass in to law.

Ministry of Defence

Military Aircraft

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Ministry of Defence intends the Tempest programme to produce a carrier-capable solution.

earl howe: The F-35 is at the beginning of its service life and is the most effective and developed aircraft capable of Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) aircraft carrier operations. The combat air acquisition programme is looking at the replacement of Typhoon's capabilities and any new combat air system will need to be interoperable with the Carrier Enabled Power Projection (CEPP) programme. The concept phase of the acquisition programme will consider QEC basing for any unmanned force multipliers which may form part of the future combat air system.

Defence: Cross Border Cooperation

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the UK retains strong defence ties with EU member states after Brexit.

earl howe: The UK remains steadfastly committed to European Defence and Security. Brexit will not change the UK's commitment.We will continue to work closely with our European partners bilaterally, including through our network of Defence Attachés and regular meetings and visits, as well as multilaterally, through NATO and other groupings such as the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) and Northern Group. These forums provide the opportunity to discuss areas of co-operation and common interest. We will continue to train and exercise with European Allies and partners, not least this summer as part of BALTIC PROTECTOR in the Baltic Sea, the first deployment of the JEF. We will continue to operate together across the globe.This engagement is underpinned in many cases by Defence agreements. Examples include Treaties with France and Poland, a Joint Vision Statement with Germany, a Statement of Intent with Italy and MOUs and similar arrangements with a number of our partners in Europe.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Wildlife: Conservation

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the governments of (1) China, (2) Vietnam, (3) India, and (4) other countries in Asia about banning the trade in endangered species and their products including (a) elephants, (b) big cats, (c) rhinoceroses, and (d) pangolins.

lord gardiner of kimble: The UK is committed to the conservation and protection of wildlife. We work closely with other countries to promote wildlife conservation through our membership of international agreements such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). CITES is an international agreement between 183 Parties, including China, Vietnam and India, to promote sustainable trade in wildlife and to ensure that no plant or animal species becomes extinct through overtrading. CITES prohibits nearly all international trade in wild caught specimens of species considered to be threatened with extinction. These Appendix I species include pangolins, most elephant and rhino populations, and some big cat species. Species not currently threatened with extinction, but for which uncontrolled trade would not be sustainable, are included on CITES Appendix II and can only be traded internationally with the correct permits. Permits will only be granted if trade is considered not to be detrimental to the survival of the species. Domestic trade is regulated by national laws and falls outside the scope of CITES. CITES cannot oblige Parties to prohibit domestic trade but it can encourage them to do so. In 2016 Parties were encouraged to close their domestic ivory markets. In 2016 Dr Thérèse Coffey MP met the Chinese minister and attended the CITES Conference of the Parties, where she had further meetings including with the Vietnamese minister. The Rt Hon Andrea Leadsom MP represented the UK government at the 3rd global Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) conference in Hanoi in 2016 and had bilateral meetings with Vietnam and China. Last October the UK hosted the 4th global IWT conference in London. Sixty-five of the seventy countries which attended, including China, India, Vietnam and the UK, reaffirmed their commitment to counter illegal trade and declared what further action they will be taking. The Rt Hon Michael Gove MP and Dr Thérèse Coffey MP met with a number of countries at the conference including Burma, China, Japan, Indonesia and Nepal. In 2018, the British Embassy in Beijing ran a highly visible campaign, “End Wildlife Crime”, with public events delivered across China, some in conjunction with the local government authorities, and attended by 19,250 members of the public. Embassies and High Commissions in many Asian countries play a key role in raising IWT issues with host governments. Officials and ministers discuss IWT with these countries in the margins of international meetings and during visits to the region. Most recently the Rt Hon Mark Field MP discussed IWT with senior members of the Vietnamese Government on a visit to the country. China has taken positive action on closing its domestic ivory market, co-hosting a session on combatting the ivory trade at the 2018 IWT conference. However, last year China decided to adjust its 1993 legislation to allow the use of farmed tiger and rhino products in traditional medicine; following discussions with the UK and others the Chinese Government is reviewing that decision. We regularly discuss IWT with the Chinese authorities and will continue to raise our concerns with them.

Home Office

Immigration: EU Nationals

lord green of deddington: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement made by the Home Secretary on 28 January on no deal arrangements for EU citizens, what requirements EU citizens who have previously lived in the UK will have to meet to have the right to apply for settlement; what estimate they have made of how many such EU citizens are likely to apply; and on what basis any estimate was made.

baroness williams of trafford: EU citizens who have previously lived in the UK will be eligible to apply under the EU Settlement Scheme, provided that they have maintained their continui-ty of residence in the UK and meet all the other requirements.Those who have been continuously resident in the UK for five years or more may be absent from the UK for up to five years without breaking their continu-ity of residence. Those who have been continuously resident in the UK for less than five years are allowed up to six months’ absence in any 12-month period, and one period of absence of up to 12 months for a good reason, such as pregnancy or an overseas posting.An Impact Assessment (IA) for the EU Settlement Scheme has been pro-duced which includes indicative estimates of volume of applications. The IA is currently under review in light of the announcement made on 21 January 2019 regarding the removal of application fees for the scheme. The IA can be found here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2018/116/pdfs/ukia_20180116_en.pdf

Home Office: Fees and Charges

lord russell of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they anticipate the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration to publish the outcomes of his inspection of the Home Office's charging for services in respect of its asylum, immigration, nationality and customs functions.

baroness williams of trafford: The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration (ICIBI) report on an inspection of the Home Office Borders, Immigration and Citizenship System’s policies and practices relating to charging and fees was received on 24 January 2019.Wherever possible, the Department will lay ICIBI reports before Parliament within 8 weeks of receipt, or as soon as possible thereafter.

Asylum: Children in Care

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensurethat local authorities do not take a disproportionate number of unaccompanied asylum-seekers who are minors.

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial supportthey give to local authorities who are responsible for unaccompaniedasylum-seekers who are minors.

baroness williams of trafford: The National Transfer Scheme was launched on 1 July 2016 and has been working to ensure a fairer allocation of unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) across the UK. A significant number of local authorities have participated in the scheme and enabled the transfer of children away from local authorities with a disproportionate number of UASC in their care.Since it was launched in July 2016, more than 700 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children have been transferred via the NTS. This is a significant achievement which has seen many local authorities offer placements for children whose best interests are served by transferring to another local authority. The pace and number of transfers has slowed. We will continue to engage with local authorities across the country to encourage further offers and consider options in how best to share the burden.The government provides funding to local authorities as a contribution to-wards the costs incurred in supporting unaccompanied asylum-seeking chil-dren (UASC) and young care leavers who were UASC.For unaccompanied children arriving from 1 July 2016, local authorities can claim £114 per day for those children aged under 16 and £91 per day for those children aged 16 or 17. More information on the funding available to local authorities supporting UASC and former UASC care leavers can be found in the funding instructions published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/unaccompanied-asylum-seeking-children-uasc-grant-instructions

Cannabis: Medical Treatments

lord wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many applications for licences to cultivate cannabis for medicinal purposes in the UK they have received since 1 January 2016.

lord wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many licences for the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal purposes they have (1) granted, and (2) refused since 1 January 2016.

lord wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government which applicants have been granted a licence to cultivate cannabis for medicinal purposes in the UK since 1 January 2016.

baroness williams of trafford: No licences have been issued to cultivate cannabis for medicinal purposes. Licences are issued to cultivate High THC cannabis for research and/or the extraction of cannabinoids.

Import Controls

lord wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the present rules regarding the importation of controlled substances into the UK from (1) the European Economic Area, (2) the Republic of Ireland, and (3) the Channel Islands.

baroness williams of trafford: Under Section 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 the importation and exportation of controlled drugs is prohibited unless under Home Office licence or in accordance with an exception contained within the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001.

Cabinet Office

Dual Nationality: EU Countries

lord inglewood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of people who are UK (1) citizens, and (2) residents who (a) have, or (b) are entitled to dual nationality of another EU member state.

lord young of cookham: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply. Dear Lord Inglewood,As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am replying to your Parliamentary Question asking what estimate has been made of people who are UK (1) citizens, and (2) residents who (a) have, or (b) are entitled to dual nationality of another EU member state (HL13401).The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes estimates of the UK population by country of birth and nationality based on the Annual Population Survey (APS)[1]. The latest estimates are for the year July 2017 to June 2018 and these show the number of British citizens resident in the UK was 59,216,000, with a confidence interval of plus or minus 364,000, and the citizens of other EU member states resident in the UK as 3,723,000, with a confidence interval of plus or minus 91,000 (all figures rounded to the nearest thousand).In the 2011 census, ONS collected data about dual passport holders which is the closest approximation to dual nationality available. Table 1 below shows the numbers from the census. ONS has no data about entitlement to dual nationality.Yours sincerely,John Pullinger[1]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/internationalmigration/datasets/populationoftheunitedkingdombycountryofbirthandnationality

Treasury

Taxation: Self-assessment

baroness neville-rolfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps first-time self-assessed taxpayers must take, including by what date they would need to begin the process, to ensure that they are able to file their tax return by 31 January; and what the penalty is for late submission due to a new applicant’s request for a Unique Taxpayers Reference not being processed in time.

lord bates: Customers can register to submit a self-assessment return in several ways, including online at Gov.uk, or by phoning HMRC on 03000 200 3500. After registering, the customer will receive a letter containing their 10 digit Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) and information on what they need to do next; this letter can take up to 10 working days to arrive. If the only reason for a customer filing late is that they are awaiting their UTR then, as long as they file their return within a reasonable time of receiving it, they will not have to pay a penalty.

Electronic Publishing: VAT

the earl of clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to bring VAT on digital publications in line with printed books following the EU's decision to allow all member states to give e-books and audiobooks the same VAT-free status as printed books.

lord bates: The Government keeps all taxes under review, including Value Added Tax (VAT) on e-publications. Any amendments to the VAT regime as it applies to physical publications and e-publications must be carefully assessed against policy, economic and fiscal considerations.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Evening Standard

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whetherthey were advised of the change in ownership of Lebedev Holdings and the grant of an option to acquire the Evening Standard and a board seat at that newspaper.

lord keen of elie: I refer the noble Lord to the answer to WPQ 218767 from 13th February by the Secretary of State.